Read Matthew 4:1-11.

Our strength for every spiritual battle comes from staying on the high ground Christ already secured for us. We do not fight for victory; we fight from victory. Though unseen, the reality is we are already seated next to our Lord in heaven. As heirs of the everlasting Kingdom, we are already given all that we need to be victorious over our enemy and his attacks.

The problem arises when Satan tricks us into leaving our high ground to come down to his murky valley. When you come down to the enemy’s level, the advantage then belongs to him, and he uses it ruthlessly. There are three main temptations by which Satan tries to defeat us.

First, Satan will tempt you through the lust of the flesh by targeting your legitimate desires. Only, he will try to convince you to fulfill them outside of God’s will. That’s what he did when he told Jesus to turn stones into bread to meet His hunger (see Matthew 4:2-3). Satan tried to get Jesus to meet His need in His own timing without relying on the Father. You, too, have real needs, and Satan will try to convince you that you can meet those needs apart from the Lord.

Second, the devil uses the lust of the eyes to stir discontentment and envy in your heart. In the wilderness, he tempted Jesus to begin His ministry with a spectacular stunt that would launch Him to immediate fame. He told Him to jump from the highest point of the temple, that angels might lift Him up (see vv. 5-6). But Jesus prioritized the approval of the Father over the applause of men, and so should we.

Finally, Satan tempts us through the pride of life. There is something strangely modern about this attack—the allure of the shortcut, the avoidance of conflict, the thrill of instant gratification, the avoidance of suffering—and the gift of everything. In the wilderness, Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world now if He’d just bow to him (see vv. 8-9). It was a shortcut that would have bypassed the cross—and left us all lost in our sin. We must beware of the easy road and instead trust in God’s timing and purposes.

No matter the tactic, the enemy’s goal is always the same: to drive a wedge between you and God. But God has already secured us the high ground. We are the redeemed of the Lord—let’s believe it.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for enduring every temptation I have faced and will ever face and yet living perfectly. I know that Your righteousness has become mine by Your loving sacrifice. I rejoice in Your grace, and I will resist Satan in Your power from the victory You have won for me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only”’” (Matthew 4:10).

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